One of a few new gaming monitors that push the boundaries of LCD panel technology is AOC’s Agon Pro AG274QG, which combines a staggering 240Hz refresh rate with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. Most of these screens have relatively high costs because they use the most advanced panel technology, but even so, this AOC is unusually pricey. However, it makes an effort to justify its high price with features like DisplayHDR 600 certification, an integrated Nvidia Reflex Analyzer, a wired remote control for the on-screen display (OSD), and a large number of RGB lights on the back. With the AG274QG, AOC appears to have borrowed some ideas from Asus.
AOC Agon Pro AG274QG review: Design
The AG274QG is a member of the AGON 4 PRO line and is distinguished by bold style and a lot of RGB. Impressively narrow bezels, including the lower bezel, are visible from the front. The only distinguishing feature of the panel is a small AGON logo on the bottom bezel, but it does come with a fantastic RGB logo projector that projects the AGON logo or text onto your desk from the stand. The back is where most of the action is. Each side of the case has unique lighting effects that may be customized in the UI and coordinated with your other AOC peripherals and gadgets. Though the lighting isn’t bright enough to cast a glow behind your display, which is unfortunate because we love bias lighting, I’m still a little disappointed that it isn’t. You won’t see the back of the monitor very often for many gamers who lean their monitor up against a wall, but you can always turn off the lighting. The AG274QG from AOC comes with the QuickSwitch, which makes changing your settings a snap. Reaching behind the monitor now feels antiquated in comparison, and it also looks cool on your desk with its red-ringed glow. However, we are still not entirely sold on the chunky tripod stand. It’s as sturdy as a rock and quite large, with a spread that is nearly as wide as the display itself and that reaches far past the rear of the monitor. It may intrude on your play space depending on the size of your desk, and most monitor risers cannot accommodate its size. The display can be rotated either way into portrait mode, slanted -3° or +21°, and swivelled -20° or +20°, giving you a full range of ergonomic adjustments. Although the swivel is significantly more constrained than those of some rival screens, we never experienced a problem with it while testing. There is space at the base of the stand for a cable management system, but it would obstruct the logo projector and look untidy on the AGON AG274QG. To keep your cables organized, AOC does include two 3M adhesive cable tidy, and the stand is thick enough to conceal all of your cables.
Features
The OSD menu is well-organized, but because of the awkward directional joystick that is located at the back of the panel, navigating through it isn’t very smooth. You can make your edits there using a desktop application, but it’s also a little glitchy. Additionally, as the monitor does not support DDC/CI, you cannot change the monitor’s settings using third-party programmes like ClickMonitorDDC. But there is some good news as well. Instead of the more conventional 0 to 100 settings, the brightness adjustment is displayed in nits (from 40 to 450 nits). also you will learn our article on AOC Agon Pro AG274QG review. You also receive a Quick Switch “puck,” which you can use to navigate the OSD menu and quickly switch between presets by connecting it to the display with the included micro-USB connection. Shadow Control, crosshair overlays, a refresh rate tracker, Game Color, different picture settings, and an embedded light sensor that can adjust screen brightness in response to ambient light are other helpful features. The AOC AG274QG offers 6-axis hue/saturation, five gamma presets, and input auto switch support in addition to the standard image adjustment tools. The monitor also has an integrated low-blue light filter and a flicker-free backlight.
AOC Agon Pro AG274QG review: Picture quality
In order to achieve the maximum frame rate and hence the lowest input latency, many competitive players may place a higher priority on refresh rate than resolution. However, depending on the game you’re playing and your computer setup, a higher resolution can also have its benefits. In particular, the 108.79 PPI pixel density results in a sharper, clearer image with more distinct details (pixels per inch). Additionally, compared to the 1080p 360Hz alternatives, these 1440p 240Hz devices feature a broader color gamut, and in some circumstances, having more intense colors can make it easier to differentiate your foes. Additionally, 1440p is the preferred resolution if you intend to use your display for purposes other than intense gaming. Even many expert gamers choose 1440p 240Hz even though 360Hz is smoother and has less input lag because the difference from 240Hz is not that obvious. Of course, personal preference ultimately determines everything. Rich and saturated colors are produced by the AOC AGON AG274QG because it covers 98% of the DCI-P3 color space (roughly 135% of the sRGB gamut size). Additionally, it has a dedicated “SDR Colors sRGB” mode that limits the gamut to 100% sRGB for more neutral colors in the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu. The image settings in this mode are not locked! The AOC AG274QG monitor’s IPS panel also features 178° wide viewing angles, ensuring that the image will remain consistent regardless of the angle you’re viewing the screen from. Keep in mind that AOC advertises relative gamut size rather than the actual coverage on their product page: 102% DCI-P3 and 110% Adobe RGB. It may also grow very bright, even for well-lit environments, thanks to its robust peak brightness of 450 nits. You shouldn’t expect to see as deep of a black as you would with VA panels, which typically have a contrast ratio of around 3,000:1 due to the static contrast ratio being 1,000:1 as expected from an IPS display.
Sound quality
No real surprises here. The speakers lack warmth, which is standard, but the sound quality is good and the max loudness is respectable. While there is some low-end, there is no subwoofer present, so it is not punchy. Apart from that, you’re better off with a nice headset or set of desktop speakers. At least the treble is clean. It’s only a minor quibble because competitive gamers will almost certainly use headsets anyhow. also you can check our article on AOC Agon Pro AG274QG review.
Gaming and Hands-on
Since they can fit on almost any desk and have a large enough viewing area for almost any task or form of entertainment, 27-inch QHD monitors are very adaptable. At a comfortable distance of around three feet, the resolution is good enough to see clear detail and clarity. The 27-inch QHD display is a standard, despite the fact that other form factors, such as 21:9 ultra-wides or 43-inch jumbo panels, are better suited for gaming. A notable example in this group is the AG274QG. It provides a clear, saturated picture with fast response times and some of the smoothest video processing we’ve ever seen. It’s one of the few displays that can sustain excellent resolution through rapid camera pans and motions without using overdrive or any other sort of blur reduction. Whatever type of game you’re playing, the picture stays incredibly sharp thanks to the frame rate. Given that I’m testing with a GeForce RTX 3090, the action is maintained at 200 frames per second with full detail. But this display offers that, which is the secret to the ultimate gaming experience. It also produces excellent HDR. It is far superior to displays that just offer full-field dimming or no dimming because it has a 32-zone edge dimming backlight. We challenge most users to be able to detect the difference between the AG274QG and a full-array local-dimming FALD display. It has excellent HDR. The bright, colorful image that Doom Eternal used to play with revealed every texture and nuance. We observed around 200 frames per second (fps) when playing the same scenes in SDR and HDR, so there was also no obvious performance hit. If you want to upgrade to an HDR-capable display, the AG274QG is a fantastic option.
AOC Agon Pro AG274QG review: Performance
Image quality is where the AOC Agon PRO AG274QG excels. Blacks are deep, colors are vivid, and the sharpness and brightness are outstanding. The images improve even more when HDR 600 is included in the mix. Visually stunning moments were had while playing games like Metal: Hellsinger, Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 5, GRID Legends, and Halo Infinite. Despite the display’s preference for gaming, creative professionals can work on the AG274QG because it features a sizable portion of the SRGB(133), DCI-P3(102), and Adobe RGB(110) color schemes. The high 240Hz refresh rate of the gaming monitor allows it to function at a level that matches the rich and vibrant image quality. Better response times and a competitive advantage come with G-Sync Ultimate and NVIDIA Reflex compatibility. No matter if using a controller or a mouse and keyboard, latency was never a problem. In-monitor display options are also available to further tailor the look and feel to a gamer’s preferences. Players of more intensely competitive games like League of Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and similar ones will be more than happy.
AOC Agon Pro AG274QG review: Price and availability
The AOC AG274QG costs between $750 and $900, which is a little expensive. The Gigabyte M27Q-X 1440p 240Hz IPS display costs as little as $370. The AG274QG’s HDR performance isn’t particularly impressive, and neither is its wide colour gamut or high-quality HDR images. For HDR, you should consider the Samsung Neo G7 or an OLED display in this price range, like the Dell AW3423DW or the LG OLED42C2. The M27Q-X lacks a G-SYNC module, so you’ll have to manually choose the best overdrive option for your frame rate, but it also has some advantages
Conclusion
Overall, the AOC AG274QG is an excellent gaming display. A fantastic gaming experience is provided by its 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, 240 Hz refresh rate, and quick response time. Once calibrated, it also has outstanding image quality, and some of its other features are very helpful. Other features, such as the lighting and OSD remote, feel superfluous, and the device lacks the realistic contrast required for excellent HDR performance. Additionally, the color balance is incorrect right out of the box. This makes it difficult to sell given its price, especially considering that other 240Hz displays with 2,560 x 1,440 resolutions are available for less money.
